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<title>When Reflections Turn to Ghosts by TimMcGee</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230257">When Reflections Turn to Ghosts</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimMcGee/pseuds/TimMcGee'>TimMcGee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Not Another D&amp;D Podcast (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>5+1 Things, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Mentions of other characters - Freeform, spoilers for campaign 1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 21:28:04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>834</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27230257</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TimMcGee/pseuds/TimMcGee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>For 16 years, Martha treasured and loved seeing her husband reflected in Beverly. Then it became bittersweet.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Beverly Toegold IV/Martha Toegold, Martha Toegold &amp; Beverly Toegold V</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>When Reflections Turn to Ghosts</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Spoilers for campaign 1/Bahumia campaign.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>For 16 years, Martha treasured and loved seeing her husband reflected in Beverly. Then it became bittersweet.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bev was always a smiling and happy baby, eager to start exploring the world and cause mischief. So when Martha noticed the silence coming from the living, she rushed to see what Bev had gotten into this time, only to stop in the doorway. As the scene in front of her was just too cute. Bev had found his father's cape and was carefully walking in front of a line of stuffed animals with a very serious look as he babbled to them. As Bev trips over the long fabric as he turns, Martha can't but laugh in delight before swooping a beaming Bev into her arms, asking if he wants to be just like his dad when he grows up.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Coming back from the market, Martha did not expect to see a hole in the front window. Scurrying inside and heading towards the sound of voices in Beverly's office, Martha sees Bev's three friends fidgeting and occasionally wiping away some tears. Martha opens the door wider and is treated to the sight of her husband and son regarding each other from across the desk. A smile threatens to break out as she sees the matching expressions her Bevs wear before she asks what happened.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Martha had forgotten today was the day Bev was getting his Green Tween uniform, but when he came bursting in the kitchen, she's suddenly thrown back in the past. When another young Beverly Toegold bowled a young Martha over in his excitement to get home and show off his new Green Tween uniform. A loud shout of “MOM” brings Martha out of the past to the present, where Bev is impatiently waiting for her to comment on his new look.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>In the year that followed the Battle for Bahumia, everyone stepped to rebuild and heal their various homes and lands, and Martha has never been more proud of the 3 children she's known all their lives and the 2 formidable Scoutmasters she's come to love like her own. Unfortunately, they've all had to grow up too fast and too soon, but a deep voice yelps "Beverly!" before being followed by quiet laughter, Martha silently rejoices that they can still be children. Looking out her kitchen window at the scene in the garden, Martha is reminded of a similar scene years ago when Beverly 4th whisked her away from her studies for a date in the Gladeron Meadows, but now it's her son trying to pull his studious boyfriend away for a date.</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>Walking into the front yard of Hardwon's Orphanage, Martha nearly stops breathing at the near overwhelming sight of her son helping a toddler make their way across the grass. As a young man, Beverly had really grown into his own and had forged a new path in life away from his father's legacy, that Martha forgot how similar her Beverlys were as time blurred the memories. This scene throws her 20 years in the past to when Bev was just a baby learning to walk, and they had taken him out to their spot in the Meadow where Beverly 4th carefully held Bev's tiny hands as Bev determinedly stomped his way towards Martha. A mixture of worried calls and a hand on her shoulder jolts Martha back and she can't but raise a trembling hand up to Bev's still boyish concerned looking face as she softly says while crying, "Oh, my handsome boy."</span>
</p><hr/>
<p>
  <span>The sound of the lively crowd drops off as the doors close behind her as Martha heads towards the dressing room. Tsking at the men being rowdy in the hallway and softly laughing when they straighten up when they spot her, Martha opens the door, only to frown when she doesn't spot her son. As she turns back to ask the groomsmen where he is, Martha spies the hidden, sunlit alcove and heads towards it. Sunlight nearly blinds her as she looks directly at the window but relaxes at the familiar shadowy shape staring pensively out the window. Then he turns. "Beverly! Where have you been? Everyone was-" "Oh! Is it time?" As Beverly steps out of the sunlight, Martha goes to continue to tease him about missing their own wedding when the scar catches her eye. The world tilts around her as she tries not to burst into tears at how much Bev looks like his father on her wedding day. From the Green Knight formal uniform to the beard, Beverly looks so much like his father Martha has to stop herself from reaching out to check that he isn't. She doesn't want her grief that's still here a decade later to taint this beautiful day, especially when she's about to walk Bev down the aisle. "Mom?" "Ye-yes, Bev. Um, every-everyone's ready." "Everything alright? Erlin hasn't been kidnapped again, has he?" "Everything perfect, sweetie. It's-it's just you look so handsome, and I'm so happy for you."</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for kudos/comments!</p>
<p>Find me over on tumblr <a href="https://hey-cabinets-i-changed-my-icon.tumblr.com/">HERE</a></p>
<p>Inspired by my mom sending me old pictures of me and brother along with old pictures of her and my dad, and my dad and brother look so much alike. </p>
<p>Also, it's just heartbreaking to realize that Martha in the same span of time lost her husband, her home, her community, and nearly her son. Like, Martha just spending the weeks anxiously cleaning the house in Hill Home, waiting to hear anything, only to get a dream one night of her husband saying he's sorry and he's gone, then a week later Bev showing up weeping how 'he couldn't save him'. Martha just hugging him and looking at morose Moonshine and Hardwon, thinking "I couldn't save you".</p></blockquote></div></div>
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